French movie id and recommendations please

[The Boy]

I think you're thinking of 'Taxi' ...and there was Taxi 2 too. I fucking love that film!! (the 1st one) ...where some guy stops some bank robbers or something with the help of his pizza delivery buddies on scooters. (That the one?)

Nah, think they're talking about C'etait un rendezvous by Claude Lelouch.

He basically mounted a camera on the front of a car and got an unnamed F1 driver to drive round paris at speeds up to 140mph.*

*except it probably wasn't an F1 driver, probably wasn't a ferrari as claimed by Lelouch, and probably wasn't doing 140mph.

 

[The Boy]

ALthough while I'm here I may as well mention Jean-Pierre Melville. Unless I've already mentioned him in which case I'm mentioning him again.

 

[Dhimmi]

Renaissance from last year, Orwellian and starkly animated.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386741/

 

[Kameron]

So so many that people have already posted but I must add:

La Fille sur le pont a wonderful film that shows what it to love someone and probably has the sexiest scene I've ever seen that doesn't include anyone taking off any cloths or touching one another (the knife throwing in the hut beside the railway if you know the film).

L' École (Innocence - UK title) This film is the real mind fuck. Nothing happens for the whole film but your head is going crazy trying to fit a plot to the story.

Banlieue 13 Superb action flick amazing chase sequences, actors do their own stunts. Thin on plot but it isn't about the plot it is about the Parkour.

The Three Colours Trilogy is an absolute must and La Haine is and remains the the bollocks.

 

[Dhimmi]

Banlieue 13 Superb action flick amazing chase sequences, actors do their own stunts. Thin on plot but it isn't about the plot it is about the Parkour.

The first 20 minutes are totally incredible.

 

[two sheds]

Jacques Tati - Jour De Fete - still cracks me up

 

[oryx]

L'Été Meurtrier - I LOVED this film as a teen, don't know how it's aged. You could do worse than go down the IMDB list of all Isabelle Adjani's films.

L'Été Meurtrier

That's one of the best films I've ever seen - the book (by Sebastien Japrisot) is also really good.

I like Les Amants du Pont Neuf and all the Rohmer films I've seen, especially The Green Ray and Claire's Knee.

 

[oryx]

L'Été Meurtrier - I LOVED this film as a teen, don't know how it's aged. You could do worse than go down the IMDB list of all Isabelle Adjani's films.

L'Été Meurtrier

That's one of the best films I've ever seen - the book (by Sebastien Japrisot) is also really good.

I like Les Amants du Pont Neuf and all the Rohmer films I've seen, especially The Green Ray and Claire's Knee.

 

[skyscraper101]

Doesn't that mean something like "each one looks for his cat?" or is my schoolgirl French even more awful than I thought?

It's not a literal translation - but it was the English title used for the film.

 

[tuesday's child]

L'Été Meurtrier - I LOVED this film as a teen, don't know how it's aged. You could do worse than go down the IMDB list of all Isabelle Adjani's films.

L'Été Meurtrier

That's one of the best films I've ever seen - the book (by Sebastien Japrisot) is also really good.

I like Les Amants du Pont Neuf and all the Rohmer films I've seen, especially The Green Ray and Claire's Knee.

I'm actually delighted that someone else has heard of it, that you loved it too has made my day.

 

[Madusa]

So so many that people have already posted but I must add:

La Fille sur le pont a wonderful film that shows what it to love someone and probably has the sexiest scene I've ever seen that doesn't include anyone taking off any cloths or touching one another (the knife throwing in the hut beside the railway if you know the film).

Agreed. That's 'The Girl on the Bridge' with Vanessa Paradis. I didnt really enjoy most of the film, but have to agree about that scene...sexy as hell and the music just make it magical.

 

[Loupylou]

Anyone who either lives in London or within easy reach of London, & is interested in finding out more about the history of French cinema could do worse than enrolling on the Morley College French Cinema evening class (Mon evenings) - probably best to start next September @ beginning of course). I am doing it @ the moment, am now in 2nd term, we are looking at the New Wave. Jon Davies is the tutor & he is very knowledgeable & great fun. He shows clips of films each week, sometimes the whole of short films. Last term we looked at French film from the beginning when they basically invented it (1895) & went up to the 1950s. I particularly found the films from the 30's & 40's fascinating.

A brilliant fim is 'Le Salaire de la peur' - i.e. The Wages of Sin.
Am about to watch another film by the same director (Henri-Georges Clouzot) called 'Les Diaboliques'.

Watched Jean Renoir's 'La Regle du Jeu' (Rules of the Game) - one of the best films ever made in the world.

I get these films out from my local library & the Morley College library.

 

[oneflewover]

Whilst browsing lovefilm, after receiving a free voucher, I ordered and got "Le Paltoquet".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091715/

What a stunning film, lots of great camera angles, great cast (the stunningly beautiful Fanny Ardant) and just about all set in one room. The incidental music is all played within the set with great timing. It's quirky and witty, i've been blown away.

Anybody else seen it, anyone recommend similar films that are available ?

 

[oryx]

I'm actually delighted that someone else has heard of it, that you loved it too has made my day.

Not often I make someone's day! I think there are a fair few 'One Deadly Summer' fans on here.

I only saw this film on TV, not at the cinema. It blew me away. It's a mark of how good it is that I look through the TV and film listings constantly to see if it's on somewhere.

I will just end up buying the DVD, I know. It will be worth it 'cos my partner also loves French film, & will like Isabelle Adjani.

I remember seeing it about 1987 (?) and my flatmate's boyfriend drifting in to watch it, & saying 'she's a sexy beast, isn't she?'.

(Sexy Beast. Another magnificent film, though not French!)

 

[QueenMab]

La Maitresse (1976) with a very young Depardieu

 

[The Boy]

La Cercle Rouge
L'armee des Ombre
Le Samurai
Borsalino
Bob Le Flambeur
Jean de Florette/Manon Des Sources
La Gloire de mon pere/le chateaux de ma mere
Subway
Les 400 coup
Les Choriste
Nikita
Le Diner de cons
pierrot le fou
au revoir les enfant
Les Visiteur
police
36 Quai des Orfèvres
Zidane: un portrait du XXIeme siecle
Themroc
Les Valseuse
Le Dernier Combat
seul contre tous (the opening scene in Irreversible ifollows on from this film)
Haute Tension

Some of the above may not be as good as I remember them as I haven;t seen them since I was a kid. Still, should keep ya going

 

[Calva dosser]

http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=135509

You could try this. Part of it was filmed in my local, with Eric Cantona as the barman

 

[trabuquera]

Most of the good ones mentioned already, but for some more low-brow kicks:

La Mentale (aka The Code) - tough if slightly implausible heisty/mafia-y thriller about a paroled robber who finds they just ...keep...pulling you back in ... not brilliant but has a good turn from Samy Naceri (the mad Taxi driver) ... it's worth seeing.

Camp Thiaroye - in fact, any film by Sembene Ousmane (who is actually Senegalese) - this is the precursor to the current release Days of Glory aka Indigenes (see separate thread on this one, it sounds brilliant) ... describing the French Army's disgraceful treatment of its North and West African forces during WWII

 

[The Boy]

Most of the good ones mentioned already, but for some more low-brow kicks:

La Mentale (aka The Code) - tough if slightly implausible heisty/mafia-y thriller about a paroled robber who finds they just ...keep...pulling you back in ... not brilliant but has a good turn from Samy Naceri (the mad Taxi driver) ... it's worth seeing.

Camp Thiaroye - in fact, any film by Sembene Ousmane (who is actually Senegalese) - this is the precursor to the current release Days of Glory aka Indigenes (see separate thread on this one, it sounds brilliant) ... describing the French Army's disgraceful treatment of its North and West African forces during WWII

Samy Naceri was also in that Indigenes [/boring fact]

 

[g force]

Les Amants Du Pont Neuf....a love story only the French could pull off with such aplomb. Denis Lavant and Juliet Binoche are superb...as usual

Le Placard.....amusing little comedy about an account who pretends to be gay to keep his job at a rubber factory. Daniel Auteuei, Gerard Depardieu and the always brilliant Theirry Lhermitte

 

[Calva dosser]

What was that one that starts off with the pilot writing his missus' name with a smoke trail, as she is being shagged from behind whilst waving to him from the window. And then it goes really mental?

It eludes me completely, but I chuckled at the time. About 1990 I think.

Oh, and 'Tous les matins du monde' Both Depardieus. About a composer called St. Coulomb who was convinced he could revive his ex-missus by writing the ultimate tune. That was a wee Gallic tearjerker.

For light relief, there has to be 'Tatie Clare'- when the old girl and the punk girl dump the incontinent spaniel on the central reservation of the péripherique, and go on a bender.

 

[Lub]

Le Diner de Cons is well worth a look

 

[Calva dosser]

That was fairly deliciously wicked. I liked the Mike Leigh-ish way the ulitmate con turned the tables on his hosts.